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Mat 10:1. Καὶ, and) This is clearly connected with the end of ch. 9, as the repeated mention of sheep indicates. He sends, before He is greatly entreated to do so.-προσκαλεσάμενος, having called to Him) solemnly.[441] All did not hear and see all things together.-τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς, the twelve disciples)[442] In the following verse they are called the twelve apostles. Matthew the apostle calls them apostles once, sc. in the present passage, where they are first sent forth; St Mark does so once (Mat 6:30), and that when they just returned from that mission; John, the apostle, never does so; for in ch. Mat 13:16 he uses the word in its general, not its particular meaning; St Luke does so in his Gospel particularly, but only on occasions, and those the same as Matthew and Mark, or subsequently, for other weighty reasons: see Luk 6:13; Luk 9:10; Luk 11:49; Luk 17:5; Luk 22:14; Luk 24:10. For they were, during the whole of the period which the Gospels embrace, disciples, i.e. scholars, and are therefore so called. But, after the advent of the Paraclete, in the Acts and Epistles they are never called disciples, but apostles. In the Acts, those only are called disciples, who had either learnt with the apostles, or were then learning from the apostles, and were apostolic men, and the seed of all Christian posterity; see Act 6:1; Act 21:16. After which last passage the word disciple does not occur again in the New Testament: but they are called brethren, Christians, believers (fideles), saints, etc.-ἔδωκεν, κ.τ.λ., He gave, etc.) The apostles made gradual progress. Great is the authority of conferring authority.[443]-αὐτοῖς, to them) The disciples, when in the Lord’s presence, were employed in miracles only to a certain extent, as in ch. Mat 14:19 and Mat 17:27; but they did not themselves perform miracles (see ch. Mat 17:18), unless when sent forth by Christ (see Luk 10:17), or after the departure of Christ; see Joh 14:12.-πνευμάτων, of spirits) i.e. against spirits.-ἀκαθάρτων, unclean) A frequent epithet: sometimes they are called πνευμάτα πονηρὰ, evil spirits.-θεραπεύειν, to heal) sc. in His name: see ch. Mat 9:35.
[441] This is that remarkable embassy or mission, to which the Lord appeals in Luk 22:35. He sent forth the Seventy also without purse, scrip, and shoes, Luk 10:4. But in Luk 22:35 He is speaking not of the Seventy, but of the Apostles. We have the return of the Apostles recorded in Mar 6:30, Luk 9:10. In the intervening period, the Lord is represented more than once as having had the disciples present with Him. Luk 12:1; Luk 12:49; Luk 13:10; Mar 6:1. I feel well persuaded, that no considerable portion of that time elapsed, without the Saviour having had present with Him at least some of His Apostles, as witnesses of those most important things, which He during that time both spake and performed. Nor even was the whole body of the Apostles long away from Him; comp. Mat 10:23. Meanwhile they returned one after the other: in which way it may have happened that some individuals out of the Twelve are named οί δώδεκα; or even it may have been that, coming and going from time to time, they took their turns with the Lord, when making His journeys, until at length it was the privilege of them all to be with Him together again. It seems indeed to be tacitly intimated in Luk 9:10, that their actual return took place somewhat earlier, their narration or report of their proceedings following subsequently more than once.-Harm., p. 292.
[442] The election of whom as Apostles, the sacred writer takes for granted as having taken place before the sermon on the mountain.-V. g.
[443] i.e. His great authority is evinced in the fact of His being able to give them authority to do all these miracles.-ED.